Rumor Hints at 'Liquid Glass' iPhone 17 Pro Color Tied to iOS 26 Design

[MacRumors]

A new rumor out of China today has sparked speculation that Apple may be readying a unique new iPhone 17 Pro color that somehow reflects the new design language of its iOS 26 software.

Weibo-based leaker Instant Digital on Thursday hinted that the iPhone 17 Pro has a "special" color variant that is said to be "connected to the iOS 26 Liquid Glass design."

The leaker, who only claims to have heard of it but not seen it, seems to believe that the color is what previous leaks have simply referred to as white, "but it appears differently depending on the lighting."

While speculative, a white base material that subtly shifts hues depending on light and angle could add a dynamic, refractive quality to the color. Combined with the Liquid Glass UI aesthetic of iOS 26, a shimmering surface could potentially create a sense of motion or unity with the glassy elements of the software interface.

The account Instant Digital has accurately leaked Apple information before, such as the Yellow finish for the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus, and the Apple Watch Ultra 2's Titanium Milanese Loop. But its track record isn't perfect.

On Wednesday, a Macworld report claimed to reveal all of the colors that each iPhone 17 model will come in. Allegedly based on an "internal document," the report listed white as a color option for all models, including the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max.

Other colors that have now been rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models by multiple sources include a new copper-like orange, black, gray, and dark blue. Whether Apple chooses different names for the colors it ultimately goes with remains to be seen.

Curiously, the leaker Majin Bu recently shared images of third-party lens covers purportedly reflecting Apple's iPhone 17 colors. A white color was not shown, but another, identified as "Transparent," appeared in its place. When asked why the transparent accessory is included in the images, Bu has equivocated, but the leaker has since alluded to another "surprise" color that Apple is currently still testing, without giving anything else away.

In a change to last year's all-titanium iPhone 16 Pro models, Apple is believed to be using a part-glass, part-aluminum design for the iPhone 17 Pro chassis. This could potentially usher in all-new color choices for Apple's high-end iPhone 17 models. What they look like in reality is something we'll learn in just a couple of months. Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 17 series in September.

Article Link: Rumor Hints at 'Liquid Glass' iPhone 17 Pro Color Tied to iOS 26 Design

 

[Dadcelo]

Now this would be more enticing!

 

[carniesandrubes]

Might as well just make it frosted grey with how much they've toned down the liquid glass look in the betas.

 

[Dave245]

Might as well just make it frosted grey with how much they've toned down the liquid glass look in the betas.

They are just betas and Apple may undo the frosted aspect in further updates.

 

[blcamp]

Sounds neat and all... but I want better battery life and less buggy software, first and foremost.

 

[Havalo]

Timmy taking inspirations from Nothing phone?

 

[SmugMaverick]

Samsung and Chinese phones called from 2015 🤣

 

[lazyrighteye]

I can’t imagine Apple doing a color variant like this. But if they did, that has my attention more than any colorway discussed to date. Bring it!

Edit: I’ll add… I really liked, and prefer, the durability the titanium frames offered the last two cycles. While aluminum is light, it’s definitely more scratch-prone.

 

[nfl46]

Now, yall know darn well this will be delayed until next year then the year after. lol.

 

[thiscatisfat]

If they really wanted to emphasize this "glass" effect, they could try going back to having a transparent rear and expose the internal like they did with iMac G3, but with frosted glass mixed with smooth glass around the Apple logo and cameras, giving it a little bit of the warp distortion we see within the UI. I think that would be nice for the Pro models.

 

[diego.caraballo]

Apple releasing another barely colored iPhone Pro that changes color according to angle, time of the day, etc, but’s almost never the promised one and call it a day

 

[mthomas184]

I may be in the minority, but I don't like the "liquid glass" at all so far.

 

[contacos]

Oil spill in the ocean color

 

[DocMultimedia]

I may be in the minority, but I don't like the "liquid glass" at all so far.

I think you are in the majority.

 

[SmugMaverick]

Makes sense if they do the "only on 256GB/512GB models" like they did with the jet black iPhone 7.

Liquid Glass edition

 

[Anonymous123]

This makes me think of those cars with color-shifting paint that changes depending on how you look at it.

Personally I think it’s tacky, but I understand there are people that will probably like it. I just don’t want it to take over the white color as that’s typically my color of choice since it’s usually the most scratch-resistant (its aluminum/titanium frame is bare compared to the coatings on the other colors).

 

[netsped]

I had a white Samsung S10 back in the day that had this prism effect on its back. Looked cool for like 3 minutes.

 

[klasma]

They could make a birefringence effect like this, but you’d need to wear polarized glasses.

 

[iZac]

I had the exact same thought as @Anonymous123 , except that I'm old

 

[darngooddesign]

Timmy taking inspirations from Nothing phone?

Doesn't sound anything like a Nothing phone.

 

[mthomas184]

I think you are in the majority.

Im actually very surprised. All I see all over the place is the praise and love for it.

Good to know.

 

[VisceralRealist]

Ah, this will sure look cool covered by an opaque, black case

 

[JPack]

What’s old is new again with Apple.

Huawei and several others did this already back in 2018.

 

[svish]

Think it will be another pale colour. Want bright colours. Will be nice if it is going to be like the Galaxy Note 10 'Aura Glow' colour.

 

[tipoo]

Ok, I was kind of bummed about the Pros moving back from titanium to aluminum, but at least very funky colours would be one reason for the switch back. Still a little bummed because aluminum is just so soft and dentable while all my steel and titanium ones have stayed perfect and it just doesn't feel as good, but funky colours would blunt the downgrade somewhat.